Gareth Bale

If you're comparing like-for-like with Giggs, do we have to look at how Bale lifted an average Wales team to the semi-final of a major tournament compared to how Giggs failed to really do intercourse all for them when they arguably had a better team in the 1990's?

If we're comparing with Giggs, at least Bale bothered to turn up for Wales.  Man U was always Giggs only interest

Quoted from diehardmariner

If you're comparing like-for-like with Giggs, do we have to look at how Bale lifted an average Wales team to the semi-final of a major tournament compared to how Giggs failed to really do intercourse all for them when they arguably had a better team in the 1990's?

Yeah, that's a fair point. I think international football in general is the main argument against Giggs. You can explain his lack of achievement with Wales by the fact that he quite simply wasn't bothered, but then should the greatest British player of all time be someone who didn't care for international football? Probably not now that I think about it and I'm all too happy to not award it to Giggs! I think in 10 years time after a major tournament or two delivered for England and some CLs for City we'll be giving it to Phil Foden anyway.

Quoted from diehardmariner

With any player there's always a what if.  With Maradona, how good/long could he have gone on if he wasn't coked up to his eyeballs

Reading a book about him a while back always thought it was a great shame when he was at Barcelona and injured but still was pressurised to play via pain numbing injections  to satisfy sponsorship demands .

Quoted from diehardmariner

  Potentially the likes of Rooney, Best, Gazza et al. should have maybe held that title and done more with their careers, but they didn't.  

Rooney for me  was an excellent talent and I have him in the top 50 of players of all time at his peak . Another one that retired too young. Just talking about Rooney with a fella who has been involved in the professional game last week and he stated Rooney didn't look after himself enough . When I read past press reports today when he was in his early 20s on nights out smoking it's shocking and sad to see and stands to reason. Especially more so as a footballers career is so short and they need to look after themselves not squander their sporting gifts.

Great player but I didn't think his heart ever seemed in it 100%.  

Which in a way I find refreshing - my eyes glaze over when I hear about footballers thinking about nothing else but football.  He seems basically happy pottering around, playing golf and he said he was never that fussed about football (if IIRC).

From 2010-2018(ish) he was an absolute freak.

I regard Bale as an excellent player who at times was unplayable with his pace and direct running but personally (and I seem in the minority on this) I don’t rank him as highly as everyone else does.
I saw Robert Earnshaw say yesterday that he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Ronaldo and Messi. Whoever employs Earnshaw currently should be drug testing him ASAP!
Granted he carried Wales single handedly at times and I admire his commitment to his country when compared against others but, he was not anywhere near that level for me (notwithstanding his impressive medal haul of course).

Shame this overhead wasn't allowed.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9SXa55s2OM

Can't believe Peter Handyside at Portman Road's not been mentioned yet.

Quoted from Abdul19

Can't believe Peter Handyside at Portman Road's not been mentioned yet.

‘Overhead kick’ is stretching it a bit, but a cracking goal all the same.

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